


green on the vine

by onlykaspbrakk



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Songfic, Teenagers, Underage Drinking, its just wine but still, mike's farm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 10:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24967954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlykaspbrakk/pseuds/onlykaspbrakk
Summary: Derry was an uninteresting, boring, town. One of those towns that you pass through on a road trip because you took a detour to get gas. One of those towns you would see once, and never give a second thought. There was a time though, a time where it wasn’t so boring. Mike Hanlon often likes to look back on those times. The time he spent with the best group of friends anyone could ask for.
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon
Kudos: 5





	green on the vine

Derry was an uninteresting, boring, town. One of those towns that you pass through on a road trip because you took a detour to get gas. One of those towns you would see once, and never give a second thought. There was a time though, a time where it wasn’t so boring. Mike Hanlon often likes to look back on those times. The time he spent with the best group of friends anyone could ask for.

The most memorable of those times that are often fresh in Mike’s mind is the summer of 1993. That summer, Bill was moving away. Leaving Derry for good. Mike will never understand why his parents decided to move away the year before they graduated, but it didn’t matter if Mike understood it or not. All that mattered was that it was happening. Bill’s parents were forcing him to get a job and Mike’s grandpa’s farm was the perfect place. It was familiar, but something new at the same time. They had joked about where they would be when they were 30, as they helped plant rows of vegetables. They had both still thought that 30 was old. Now that Mike was 30, it doesn’t seem like it. Back then, his biggest worry was the September Bill was leaving, now he had more things to worry about.

Bill worked on the farm from June when they got out of school up until the day he left. He was a hard worker, did a much better job than even Mike who had been doing this most of his life. Bill was always like that though. He put his whole heart into everything like this was going to be the last thing he ever did. Like he’d die if his efforts weren’t enough. Now, the old fields haven’t seen the plow in decades, everything has aged. The old barn and the low hanging tree sitting on the edge of the small river running through the property. Mike often returned to the river, the water was always so clear. During the days, Bill and Mike would sit, eating a sandwich talking about anything and everything. Though, the real conversations would happen at night.

The two of them quietly laughing as Mike hauled a blanket out to the riverbank. The comfortable silence as they tried to count the bright stars of Derry, their hands slowly inching closer to each other, though neither wanting to make a move, too afraid someone might see even in the dark of the night.

One particular night, they sat sharing thinly-veiled secrets, barely masked by the hot July moon. Bill had stolen a cheap bottle of wine from his mom’s liquor cabinet. Not bothering to get glasses, they drank straight from the bottle. They had been lightweights, never having drunk before. They’d never felt the need to, unlike Richie and Bev, who it seemed was always either smoking or drinking something out of cheap shot glasses stolen from the local convenience store. Something about that night had made them careless, made Mike lean in, and kiss Bill. The taste of the strawberry wine they had just shared still evident on Bill’s tongue. Sometimes, if Mike thought about it too much, he swears he can taste it still. Swears he can still feel Bill’s hand, moving from the red plaid blanket onto Mike’s thigh. Despite not having worked at the farm as long as Mike had, his hands were already rough. The same July moon they were just sharing secrets under, now had a secret of its own. One that was more important to Mike than anything he’d ever experienced before.

Once Bill left, they talked some. Some cards, some letters, one phone call that didn’t last nearly as long as Mike needed it too. But just like the leaves in the fall, their friendship blew away in the cool wind too. It happened to everyone who left Derry. The longer you’re gone, the more you forget. Mike knew he couldn’t expect Bill to remember the bittersweet of the first taste of love they’d shared or the stolen kisses (and sometimes more) shared in the heat of the summer.

Mike missed his friends a lot. Sometimes he wished he would forget too, but he knew he couldn’t or they'd never remember each other again and would end up dying. Mike knew that one day he'd see them again, but for now, he had the memories of seventeen. 


End file.
